Blackheart
by 0oLady-Deliriumo0
Summary: A decade after the final battle with Pitch Black, Jack Frost feels great guilt for what he did to him and now he worries if the Nightmare King even lives. So he ventures to his buried lair only to be wrapped up almost instantly in something so much bigger than himself, something that threatens to take his very soul. (Rating will change.)
1. The Violinist

**A/N: **So I recently got into the BlackIce ship and I really fell in love with the pairing. So I thought up some headcanons for both Jack and Pitch and this fanfiction is the result of that.

I suggest listening to the namesake for this story, Blackheart by Two Steps From Hell.

The link will be on my page, or you can simply search for it on youtube.

You can start listening to it whenever, just know that is the song Pitch is playing.

Kudos to whoever can guess who the nameless women is.

_Ya ponimaju _means I understand in Russian.

* * *

Blackheart: Chapter One: The Violinist

Rise Of The Guardians

Pairing: BlackIce (Pitch Black/ Jack Frost)

* * *

It wasn't like he didn't know he was putting himself in danger, of course not! he knew what he was doing, that he was headed straight for the lair of the proverbial dragon thanks to his compulsive nature. Yet Jack Frost still stood, outside of the dwelling of what used to be one of the most feared beings to ever walk the planet.

North was the only other Guardian that knew where Jack was going, that he was risking some sort of mental or physical harm by going there.

"I'm not going to convince you otherwise, am I?" North had inquired after he and Jack had a long and unnecessarily drawn out argument on his decision to find Pitch.

"No, no I guess you're not." Jack shrugged from his perch atop his staff, he could almost hear the Guardian of wonder furrowing his brow.

"_Ya ponimaju._" North replied almost hesitantly, Jack knew the thought of him endangering himself made North uneasy. He hopped down from his staff, twirling it between his fingers as he looked up at the older spirit.

"Just watch yourself in there, Pitch is never to be underestimated, especially now that he's had ten years to recover and think." North's voice was stern, a sternness that a parent would use when warning at child against doing something that would them put in timeout. Jack sighed internally at this, he still wasn't used to so many people caring about him. Believing sure, but caring? that was a whole different ball game that Jack didn't have a clue how to play.

"I'll be fine, I can handle myself. I'll hightail it outta there if push comes to shove." He patted North's robust forearm and gave a crooked toothy smile "Promise."

He saw the older Guardian return the smile warmly before he gave Jack a friendly pat on the back that almost sent him face first into the workshop floor.

"Good!" he boomed in obvious approval of Jack's reassurance before he was forced by his duties to pay the winter spirit a hasty goodbye, then he turned back to giving out orders the yetis. Who were already in the process of busily making toys for the next Holiday season. Jack turned on his heel and flew out of the workshop, starting back on his way to his hometown of Burgess and the last known location of the Nightmare King's lair.

Now he was standing pensively outside where the lair should have been. Guilt was practically radiating off of him as he realized a whole decade had passed since he witnessed the Boogeyman himself violently dragged back into his underground kingdom by his beloved nightmares; creatures made of him and all his darkness. Jack gripped his staff as he glanced around, now there was only one problem.

How in the name of MiM was he going to get down there?

He remembered that the tunnel filled in with earth when the nightmares surged through it, turning Pitch's kingdom into his possible tomb. Jack swallowed, he did NOT want to think about that, no, not right then.

So he hovered in the air, looking around the area in hopes of finding an opening in the ground. He thought maybe if he didn't find a way in then he could just leave, at least he tried, right? Maybe he could put the stifling feeling of guilt behind him then.

Though as the winter spirit had quickly learned, nothing is ever that easy.

Strong tendrils of shadow grabbed his ankles with breakneck speed as he was yanked from the air, his chin making a rough impact with the frozen ground and he felt pain shoot through his jaw. Toothiana was not going to be happy, he thought as he tongued over a crack in one of his teeth.

He frantically dug his fingers into the ground, desperately trying to pull himself away from the inky black shadows that grasped him with a considerable amount of force. He managed to grab his staff before he lost his grip on the ground and was whipped about like a rag-doll before being engulfed into shadows.

The next thing Jack remembered was being tossed on the ground with a resounding thud, he groaned tasting the tang of his own blood in his mouth, realizing he bit the inside of his cheek when he was smacked into the ground. He felt the shadows withdraw from his ankles, disappearing until he could no longer see or sense them. He dug his staff into the ground and used it as a support to get to his feet, after which he surveyed the area he was now in.

Yes, yes it did indeed look familiar, he was undoubtedly in Pitch's lair.

"Well, I guess I don't have much of a choice now." he quietly muttered to himself, though he was almost completely certain it wouldn't help, with that much noise Pitch must of known that someone had invaded his home.

Jack craned his neck, looking down the tunnel and lucky for him it was light enough to be able to see, if only just barely. He took a few tentative steps, feeling the ache in his ankles.

Yup, definitely sprained.

He adjusted to leaning on his staff as he walked, still taking careful, calculated steps. He avoided kicking any loose rocks, or MiM forbid, stubbing his toe on protruding tree root. As he made his way down the tunnel he began to hear a whooshing noise, he stopped and strained his ears. Was that...water? No, couldn't be for he was very sure there was none in Pitch's underground dwelling the last time he was there. After a moment of standing still in utter confusion a thought poped into his mind.

Maybe, just maybe Pitch was alive and had put some kind of water piping into his home. Jack frowned, but why would he need water? to bathe? did immortals even do that? and where in the world would he get all the metal for that in the first place? Jack sighed, a quick harsh and frustrated exhale of air. He just needed to stop thinking and keep moving, he'd know the Nightmare king's fate soon enough.

Jack pressed on for what seemed to be hours, almost in a daze as he continued to take care with his footing. He then heard another noise, only this time it was more like a faint cry, a melody. He drew nearer and the sound grew until he could put a name to it.

A violin..no two violins, calling out mournfully into the night.

Jack began to see what looked like rays of moonlight cascading down at the end of the tunnel. He quickened his pace until he reached the end of it and then went completely slack jawed at the stunning scene that laid before his eyes.

The tunnel opened into a cavern of gargantuan size, and he could see the moon through massive holes in the caverns high stone ceiling, it's brilliant silver light illuminated everything it touched. Out of one of the holes poured the most exquisite waterfall he'd ever laid eyes upon, the water roared forth with the might of mankind's strongest armies. Ivy crept up almost every side of the cavern, seeming as though they were hand painted by the worlds best artists. Then, Jack lowered his eyes as he finally detected where the shrill and melodious violin music was coming from. There in the moonlight, seemingly unphased by it's illumination stood none other than the Nightmare king himself, a glistening black violin expertly held in his grasp.

Jack could hardly breathe as he witnessed Pitch moving his fingers so knowingly over the neck of the violin, and lovingly glide the bow over it's strings. He didn't know Pitch was even capable of doing something in a "loving" manner. The thing that took Jack truly by surprise though was that the Pitch had his eyes closed. How could he earn such beautiful cries out of an instrument without even seeing what he was doing? Jack was baffled at this, Pitch's expression of pure bliss making him think he had to be dreaming.

If he was though, what a wondrous dream.

he noticed then the movement in the corner of his eye and quickly turned his gaze. A women of blinding beauty (he wasn't even sure he could use that to describe her) danced and whirled her way over to Pitch, a violin that was made of shadows, clasped in her delicate looking hands. Her skin was the color of freshly fallen snow, her hair shades of the darkest ebony, lips a rich blood red, and her eyes, those eyes! were the very color of the moon and seemed as though they reflected Manny's light. She wore a deep night sky blue Grecian gown with silks that billowed around her womanly form in the non-existent wind. He also noticed her hair was doing the same thing, and it also appeared to have no end to it, it simply flowed through the air like black ink spilled into water.

Pitch opened his eyes and smiled as she danced her way towards him, Jack noticed that the smile did not have a touch of his malicious nature in it. Pitch picked up his feet and imitating her movements, glided towards her. They spun in circles around each other, smiles of nothing that could be described as anything other than pure joy, splayed graciously crossed their lips. They did this for a while, occasionally switching places with graceful steps only someone who was a trained dancer should be able to make. Jack watched them, his mouth still slightly ajar at their graceful movements, their joy, and the lulling melody that fluttered forth alluringly from their instruments. Before Jack knew it the music had stopped and he instantly tensed and took a less than well placed step backward.

Bad idea.

He tripped over an upturned tree root (MiM really had it out for him it seemed) in the tunnel and let out a loud "Oof!" as he hit the ground. He heard a sinister growl and gulped at the hard lump that had suddenly taken up residence in his throat. His gaze darted up, but instead of seeing Pitch like he expected to, there in front of him floated the nameless women of unbelievable beauty. He opened his mouth to speak but all that came out was something equivalent to word vomit.

The nameless women let out a laugh, a warm infectious laughter that seeped down into Jack's very soul and sunk its teeth in. She drifted forward to him and Jack couldn't even move as she ever so gently, with the care of a loving mother, took his face into her lovely soft hands. She smiled at him reassuringly and Jack could not help but smile right back. Then with the soft croon of an angel, she spoke.

_"Sleeep.."_

Jack Frost could do nothing as his mind plunged into a deep, calm, slumber.


	2. Stubborn

Blackheart: Chapter Two: Stubborn

Rise Of The Guardians

Pairing: Blackice (Pitch Black/Jack Frost)

* * *

He could feel himself coming out of the mist of unconsciousness, the deafening roar of the waterfall slowly picked up in octaves as his mind rose up and out of the dark. It was closer, much closer than before and the curiosity of it's proximity coaxed Jack to crack open his lids to see.

His vision was blurry as his eyes opened but instead of seeing the waterfall, a face hovered over him. He blinked several times so he could focus and let out a small gasp; the same women he saw before being rendered unconscious was leaning over him with a expression of maternal worry plastered over breathtaking features. Jack only now noticed that her hair and clothes were not only just dark blue and black but they looked as though they resembled..the night sky itself, and was her skin glowing? He scanned what he can see of her and he could indeed see stars twinkling through her hair and clothes. He opened his mouth to speak and just like that she noticed he was awake.

"I hope you are alright, little winter spirit. I meant you no harm." gods, that voice. Jack swore he could hear all the sounds of the night come and go with it as the women uttered each syllable, it almost sounded like a bewitching poem. Her moonbeam eyes were still filled to the brim with concern as they darted around his face, looking for a response.

"Y-y-yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit confused." He gave his signature crooked smile as he went to sit up. The woman placed a hand on the small of his back, as to make sure he did not fall over though Jack was rather sure he wouldn't.

"Well I put you out simply because you were intruding on a rather private moment. I do apologize if I frightened you though." She smiled at him, and Jack's felt warm when she did. The smile she had, it was just so...calming.

"If you don't mind my asking, what was I intrud-"

"I hardly think that is any concern of yours, _Frost_." Jack snapped his head the direction of the familiar silken voice. There Pitch stood glowering at him, not very far from Jack's position on the floor of the cavern. He noticed how Pitch had spat his name out like it was rancid.

"You're the one trespassing here, I think I should be the one asking questions." He slowly walked to Jack in his gliding manner, hands folded behind his back with impeccable posture. Though something seemed strange to Jack in the way he spoke, Pitch wasn't lively or animated like he remembered and that bothered him. It really bothered him. "Now, care to tell me how you even got down here?"

Jack opened his mouth to speak but his words got caught in his throat when he got a good view of Pitch. Gods, what the hell happened to him? His skin was paler, his face more gaunt and Jack didn't even think that was possible. The skin on his lids was dark and made him look exhausted, and his eyes that were once a glowing predatory gold were nothing more that a dulled, lifeless copper. Jack trailed his eyes to Pitch's body, his robes are gray and tattered and through the part down the middle..Jack could see skin just stretched painfully over bone. He averted his gaze, and swallowed hard again at the ever persistent lump in his throat.

This was _his_ fault.

The guilt he was feeling increased tenfold then, it made his chest tighten, his hackles stand on end, and his spine sent uncomfortable almost painful cold twinges through his body. It was all he could do to not to start grinding his teeth because of the suffocating emotion. Pitch looked like a shriveled shell of the diabolically charismatic spirit of fear whom Jack had faced off against ten years ago on April 1st, and Seeing him like this was too much.

_I did this._

_My fault._

_My fault._

_This is **my** fucking fault._

"Well?" Jack tore himself from his thoughts, seeing that Pitch was still towering over him, waiting impatiently for answer.

"I.. was pulled in by shadows." Jack told him, giving a quizzical look "They're your shadows, you control them, why are you even asking me this?" he was beginning to get a little defensive, it was obvious Pitch had dragged him down there, so why was he questioning him?

Pitch stood there momentarily, then furrowed his brow and shook his head. He turned and walked away gruffly, the woman at Jack's side got to her feet and followed him and quickly placed a hand on his shoulder. Jack watched as Pitch made a move to push her hand away but she simply turned his body in her direction.

"That's tenth one I've lost this week! Why are we even bothering with these sessions if I'm still loosing them at the same rate as before?" Jack could literally feel Pitch seething as his voice rose several intervals. He was just about as lost as to what was happening as he'd ever be.

"Because if we stood idly by and did nothing you would have been gone a long time ago, you've been an essential part of human instinct since modern man first appeared. if you're lost to us, man might very well go extinct." The woman retorted, gently in her maternal way, reached up to stroke Pitch's cheek "This is so much bigger than you just fading, This is a whole species we're talking about."

Jack felt his stomach drop and frost erratically spurted out of his fingers that were firmly pressed to the cavern floor, making somewhat disheveled designs of surprise. Fading? extinction? He had to be having some kind of crazy dream, this just had to be a dream because nothing this absurd would ever happen, it could _never_ happen.

_You're a spirit who was brought back from the dead to spread winter throughout the world, are you really going to use the word never?_ he thought, mentally kicking himself.

Jack quickly jolted upright to a standing position, using his toes to flip his staff up into his waiting hands. He walked forward to them, frost spiraling outwards in the same erratic pattern on the parts of the ground his feet hit.

"Why are you fading? you're not a Guardian, belief shouldn't affect you and it didn't for centuries." Pitch looked at him, slowly his lips curled into a cruel smile and he burst out laughing like Jack has just said the funniest thing he'd ever heard.

"My dear boy, are you ignorant or just stupid?" Pitch questioned as he regained his stoic composure, shaking his head as his features hardened into a sneer. Jack decided that he really didn't like the flat exterior Pitch was presenting, it somehow made him much less predictable.

"I may not be like you Guardians, I don't need people to believe in me to further my existence. I do however require their fear and if I do not receive it then I simply" Pitch gestured to his frail, emaciated body "_Starve_."

Jack's eyes widen, he really couldn't childishly deny his guilt now. The Nightmare King was starving to death because of him, because he had denied Pitch that which sustained him. He knew that he did the same to the other Guardians, but somehow that didn't matter, because Jack was incapable of hating someone enough to let them suffer, even an enemy.

"What can I do to help?" Jack surprised even himself when those words fell from his lips without hesitation. He hoped he wouldn't regret it but felt his stomach drop again as the corners of Pitch's mouth twitched as he let out an amused chuckle.

"Are you serious? think about who you're helping, Jack. Think about what I did to you and your friends, and don't think for a moment that I wouldn't do it again." Pitch was now standing face to face with Jack, looming over him in an indignant manner. It occurred to Jack for a brief moment just how impossibly tall Pitch was, it was a wonder to him that his body had not caved in on itself in it's sorry state. He heard a frustrated sigh come from over Pitch's shoulder, to which both elder and younger spirit looked back to. The nameless woman rolled her eyes at them as they glanced to her, for one reason or another she didn't seem pleased.

"This is an opportunity you cannot pass up, Pitch. Who knows for how much longer my night energy will sustain you. You must accept help if it is given, your time is limited." Her obvious annoyance ebbed away into concern again. Pitch indifferently arched a hairless brow at her before he turned his back to both the woman and Jack and sauntered away.

"No."

It was plain, simple, and clear as a bell as Pitch sank into the unnerving blackness of the shadows. He did not want Jack's help, or anyone else's for that matter. Was he just content to die if it meant he was able stay defiant? It looked that way to Jack, but then he remembered that the nameless woman had mentioned extinction, extinction of mankind. Could that really be true? could the human race die out if Pitch faded away? Was he truly selfish enough to let that happen? Jack gave a soft laugh at that though - of course he was.

_And you're the catalyst, this would've never happened had you tried to reason with him_. The thought popped up so quickly in Jack's mind that he cringed, he couldn't deny the truths his conscience was dealing him.

"Do you really want to help him?" He was brought back to reality as the women with moonbeam eyes questioned him, it took him a moment to realize what she had asked and then he nodded in confirmation of her inquiry.

"Then take me to North." Jack stepped back and looked at her strangely, as if she had been speaking in tongues.

"Why? I don't even know who you are." He was slightly defensive now, and gripped his staff tighter.

"He knows me, has for a very long time. I'm sure he would like a visit, but I'm certain he won't like what the visit is about." She replied, like it was the least surprising thing in the world. Jack didn't agree with that.

"You could be lying for all I know, how can I trust you?" Jack was tensing and becoming more wary by the moment. He did not like how calm she was, how she acted as though she gained entrance to the palaces of Guardians on a daily basis.

"Jack." she smiled, and his shoulders went lax as she softly said his name. She placed a dainty hand on his forearm. "Please, trust me." and just like that Jack felt like he couldn't say no, Hell, it seemed as though if he did say no it would be wrong. He sighed inwardly and nodded.

"Fine, but don't make me regret this." He warned as he rubbed his face with his free hand in a disbelieving manner. "Now how are you going to get there? I can just have the wind carry me, but what about you?" The woman smiled and then tensed her legs before she shot off into the air and out of one of the massive holes in the cavern ceiling, Jack had to quickly call the wind to be able to catch up with her. when he does she flashed him another smile before beckoning him to follow her.

As they set off for the north pole, Jack glanced behind him back at the cavern only to be caught up in what was happening in the sky all around him. The night sky itself was being pulled along with them as they flew. He was slack jawed again as he watched the scene unfold before him, slowly following the receding starry skyline until it lead directly to..the nameless women. He was flabbergasted and did his best to summon words to for some type of coherent sentence.

"W-what are you?" Jack asked, his icy eyes wide in astonishment. The women let loose one of her beautiful and melodious laughs.

"I am Nyx."

* * *

**A/N:**Stayed up pretty late to write this one, I did have some trouble with it so I might revise it a bit.

**Update:** Changed both chapters one and two from present tense to past tense, feeling a bit better about it now. All chapters will now be written in past tense.


	3. You Need Him

**A/N:** I'd reccomend for the first part of this chapter listening to Nero by Two Steps From Hell.

* * *

Blackheart: Chapter Three: You Need Him

Rise Of The Guardians

Pairing: Blackice (Pitch Black/Jack Frost)

* * *

It seemed absurd - no - it was _completely_ and_ utterly_ absurd that after all these years Jack would seek him out. It was also an incredibly unwelcome intrusion that left Pitch drained and rather agitated, it had snapped his mind link to Nyx in their session, leaving it so he did not get the full amount of night energy that he so desperately needed.

He hated this weakened state that he was in - that he had endured for a decade - and despised the fact that now even the shadows all but refused to bend to his will. He thankfully still had the ability to teleport through them but it took a toll on him, a fatiguing toll that made him furious under the mask of calm collection that he now sported. In truth he no longer had the energy to expend for his expressive, haughty displays.

Pitch sat straight backed, his fingers dancing effortlessly on the keys of his hand crafted grand piano stationed in his quarters. He instinctively tapped his spidery protrusions over the dully glittering keys, not requiring the aid of sheet music. This was second nature and it helped him to collect his thoughts, to calm him, to ease his troubled ancient soul. He was barely aware of the notes he pulled out of the atramentous instrument, or how the melody that promenaded through the air. No, he was much too lost in his musing by then.

That boy, that insufferable, involuntary child! Pitch had no idea what to make of his actions, why was he doing this? he and the other guardians had allowed Pitch to nearly be destroyed by his creations, without a word of compassion or a twinge of worry. They had left him for dead, and he knew that. Why then, was the white haired pest of a winter spirit bothering him now?

He let some frustration flow into his hand as he swiped it harshly over the pianos keys, causing it to let out a shrill cry as he played on. He clenched and unclenched his jaw, a rough sigh exiting his nose before he rolled his shoulders in a halfhearted attempt to alleviate the uncomfortable tightness that had formed there.

This confusion, it didn't feel normal - didn't feel right - he was the Nightmare King damnit! the one and only, he was much too old for confusion like this or of any kind for that matter. Yet despite his best efforts to figure out what Frost's motives were, he still remained in the dark. He aggressively let one hand strike out over the piano again, it's shriek mirroring his aggravation. He shook his head - there was only one that that stood out to him, one thing that was absolute.

He could _not_ trust Jack Frost.

* * *

Jack was still somewhat in shock - though also relieved - at how readily North had greeted Nyx, she evidently hadn't been lying when she said they knew each other. North had almost not even noticed Jack walk in along side her, and it seemed as though he had completely forgotten of their argument the day prior. _Might be better that way_ Jack thought, though he knew that Nyx would eventually bring it up - she had to, right?

He was currently observing them from his position against a wall, they chatted away merrily and he guessed they had not seen each other in quite a while. Their conversation ranged from how the other was doing to reminiscing of days long since passed. Jack wondered in that moment what other legendary gods the guardians knew, how many they hadn't told him about. If there was Nyx then it just wouldn't make sense if there was no Greek pantheon behind her.

"So, you've yet to tell me why you're paying me a visit on such short notice." Jack was pulled from his thoughts as he heard North change the conversation's direction. "Or why Jack arrived with you, is strange when you've never met him before."

"I can't come see my dear old friend? It's been over two hundred years since we last crossed paths, Nick." Jack raised a brow, he hadn't heard anyone ever refer to North by his first name and he thought the older guardian would retort against Nyx disapprovingly. When North simply gave a hearty chuckle at her response Jack was even more baffled.

_These two must go way back_ he pondered before pushing himself off of the wall and began to casually coat the floor beneath his feet in frost as he continued to listen.

"That may be, but I know your schedule is far too busy to allow you casual visits with old friends." North looked over the night goddess's features knowingly. "Come, tell me what it is that has brought you here."

"Fine, fine you've caught me red handed" Nyx smirked back at him while holding up both of her hands, her expression then turned serious "But lets discuss this in your office shall we? I would not want to frighten the yetis or the elves."

"Something tells me I'm not going to like what you have to say." North arched a brow at her, to which she shook her head - not bothering to answer verbally. Jack was about to speak up when she glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Don't look so worried, we weren't going to leave you here." Nyx told him, answering his concern swiftly. "Come along now, we do not have time to dally." She beckoned him with a fluid movement of her arm.

Jack wordlessly followed, nervously gripping his staff in one hand. This was not going to be easy.

* * *

"No! no, no, no! I won't allow him anything, Not after what he did to us."

_Well this is going just fine. Nope, no issues at all, not a one_ Jack mulled over silently, resenting ever agreeing to be part of this conversation with North and Nyx. They had been arguing incessantly for an hour now and Jack had sat there like a fly on the wall watching the whole meltdown. He couldn't get a word in edgewise, even when Nyx had told North that he stumbled onto her session with Pitch. North had simply kept on talking, fiercely denying any leniency whatsoever to the boogeyman in question. Jack was nearing the end of his tether, all this yelling back and forth was driving him insane. No - this was it - he was far too sick of the arguing now to care about any negative reactions he could get.

"He's _dying_, North. Pitch is dying. He's skin and bones, literally starving to death because no one is scared of him anymore. Having fear for him is like having believers for us, if he doesn't have any then he's gone, fades out of existence entirely. I know what he did to us, I mean come on how could I forget it? But fading is a fate that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy." By the end of Jack's rant his breathing was labored, having been gesturing wildly with his staff. He saw North's features soften a bit and he shook his head.

"I cannot - we cannot - grant him the power that you're asking me to give him. We must protect the children, if we give Pitch his power back then there is no telling what he will do." Jack bristled at what North had just said, he couldn't really be that heartless could he? could he knowingly allow someone to perish? Jack was about to retort but was cut off as Nyx interjected.

"If you don't allow him to do what he was made to then there might be no children left for you to protect." both Jack and North turned to her wide eyed - like deer caught in headlights - North's features quickly hardened again.

"Is that a threat? what are you saying?" He questioned the goddess, his eyes narrowed with something that seemed a mix of bewilderment and anger.

"I'm saying that you need him. Where do you think instinctual fear comes from, hmmm? that it just happens? Oh no my dear sweet guardian, you'd have to be naive to think that. Pitch is there, in the shadows at every human birth crossed this planet, and he plants a seed that grows into that instinct - the instinct to _survive_. What do you think fuels that instinct? It's fear, rational, irrational, and what have you. It's what keeps children in their beds at night and close to their mother's side.

"Without him, people lose the ability to make better judgement, and for the past ten years they have been born without that instinctual fear. Have you not noticed all the deaths of children in this past decade? how it has increased ten fold? They are dying, doing reckless stupid things because they do not know fear. If it keeps going at this rate, mankind will become extinct, that means no more children - no more believers" She gave a grin, one that revealed a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. "And no more Guardians."

North and Jack could only stare in disbelief, Jack felt those uncomfortable twinges return to his spine and tread out over every nerve. How could they of been so stupid? It just seemed so obvious to Jack now - there needed to be a balance - not what Pitch had tried doing in the past, but a balance between fear, hope, wonder, memories, and fun. Beyond childhood the world was a dark and unforgiving place, that was what Pitch's fear prepared people for, for adulthood - reality.

"We don't have much choice then, do we?" North replied with hesitation, seeming as though he was immune to the gnarled, sharp toothed grin etched onto Nyx's face. _Were those there before?_ Jack thought as he suspiciously studied her expression - not even Pitch's grins were that frightening.

"You do not I'm afraid, though I know you don't want a repeat of what happened last time and to be quite frank, neither do I." Jack watched the insidious grin melt away from Nyx's features, it was like she hadn't even done it at all. "I was very displeased with what he did, fear has it's place and he crossed the line. Can I really blame him though? driven mad by loneliness, it is a wonder in itself that he did not fade after he lost all of his believers to the renaissance. Unfortunately, this time - if he doesn't regain his believers - then he _will_ fade, I think I've made that perfectly clear."

North gave a loud sigh, the frustration and hesitation much too evident in it. Jack didn't like seeing him like this because it just wasn't how he got, North didn't get upset.

"Then I will call everyone here for a meeting, is not my decision to make alone. I will schedule one for two days from now, that will give everyone a chance to attend." His shoulders dropped slightly, Jack could see just how uncomfortable North was with this. "I assume Pitch can wait a few days?" He inquired, raising a brow at Nyx.

"Yes, a few days won't hurt him but he certainly isn't getting any better." She began to nervously scratch the back of her neck. "He also doesn't have the slightest clue that this is happening, and he isn't going to easily take this help. He views it as you pitying him, which is why..." She trailed off and slowly looked over to Jack, who took a moment to understand what she was getting at.

"Oh no. no, no no! Are you implying that you want me to go tell him by myself? Seriously? He hates my guts! He may even try to kill m-" Nyx cut him off with a light chuckle.

"Believe me, he won't waste his small reserves of energy on trying to pick a fight with you. He'll probably kick and scream like the diva he is, and even if he doesn't accept the help - it will still be given. I will not allow him to be so selfish as to take the human race down with him if he falls." Jack looked Nyx over for any sign that she was just pulling his leg, but she was stoic with a dangerous seriousness about her.

"I can't help but think I'm going to regret this." Jack pressed his palm to his forehead, not believing what he was about to go do. "You owe me for this, alright?" before Nyx or North could respond, he gusted past them and out the window of North's office and into the bitter sky of the North Pole. He swore he could hear Nyx's laughter behind him - like the soft and mocking tinkling of bells.

* * *

Jack had no idea where he was going, he had come in through one of the massive holes in the cavern ceiling and now was completely lost. There had been several hallways and tunnel systems to choose from so he simply went down one of them on a whim. Three hours later he was still wandering and stubbing his toes in the dark. Sconces were widely spaced out in the hallway and appeared to be lit with a fire that casted an eerie purple glow. How big was Pitch's home anyways? too big and much too dark for Jack's liking, that was for sure.

He was truly beginning to think that he would be lost in the dark recesses of Pitch's lair forever - left to wander for eternity. It surprised him when he his nose came in contact with large, black wooden double doors.

"Gah! Damnit!" he cursed lowly as he fell back onto the floor while clutching his nose, frantically feeling for any breaks. He wiggled it, wincing at the residual ache before he carefully pulled himself to his feet and focused on the doors in front of him. They were much taller than he was - and from what he could make out in the low light had intricate designs on them. His features twisted in question before he gingerly reached out to touch one of the doors with his hand. It startled him as it creaked opened under his fingertips and warm candlelight crept out into the hallway. As per usual, Jack's curiosity got the better of him and he cracked the door open just wide enough to slip in.

"Wow..." Jack uttered under a hushed breath. The room was massive, with walls draped in tapestries and black silks that hung from the high vaulted ceiling. There were large ebony couches and throw pillows scattered about, in one corner stood 3 different string instruments - all dark and gleaming. At the center of the room stood a grand piano made of the same dark wood the string instruments were made out of. It's size was impressive as it dominated the center of the room with a regal wonder. At the back of the room Jack could barely make out what seemed to be a large four post bed, it was much too shrouded by the carbon colored silks that flowed in tendrils down to the floor. He walked forward to the piano, completely entranced by how it gave of a perfect reflection of everything in the room; he was so concentrated in fact that he hadn't taken notice of the shadows that curled and writhed from beneath the bed.

"Why did you come back here? you know that you're _not_ welcome." Jack jumped and spun around as he felt hot breath on the back of his neck. Pitch stood there with an incredibly displeased look on his face, arms folded behind his back as he quirked a brow at Jack in inquiry. "Don't just stand there, answer me!" Jack twitched away slightly when Pitch raised his voice, he could see his rage building, like some type of bomb that had just had it's fuse lit.

"Hey this isn't my fault, Nyx has me doing her dirty work." He paused for a moment, not entirely sure how to approach the situation. Maybe being blunt would work?

"She's arranged a meeting with the guardians to see how we can go about getting you believers again." Jack watched Pitch, his expression was unreadable.

"Pity from the five of you is the last thing I need." Pitch said finally through gritted teeth as he backed away from Jack.

"She says you're going to receive help whether you accept it or not." Jack blurted out, instantly wishing that he hadn't. Pitch swarmed up into his face, shadows gripping his limbs and throwing his staff to the floor and out of reach. He gasped, thrashing against the shadows with all his might, but they held him firmly in place. He could feel the fear slowly creep into his gut and up into his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe.

"You listen to me, boy. I will not take your pity, I do not care what that frivolous banshee wants to happen - _I will never allow it!_" The last part came out in a low, rumbling growl. Pitch was nose to nose with Jack, his eyes momentarily flickering back to their piercing gold. Jack had his head craned back as far as it would go, trying desperately to put some space between them. Pitch's shadows held him in place, not allowing any movement. When Pitch began to move closer Jack began to panic, his heart hammering violently against his rib cage. The Nightmare King appeared to be...sniffing him - like a wild animal driven mad by hunger. His eyes slid shut as he neared Jack's neck and he took in a deep breath. Jack had tried to fight it, but couldn't help the small whimper of terror that eased itself from his throat. Pitch's eyes snapped open and he abruptly withdrew his shadows, pulling away from the winter spirit, and let him drop with a heavy thud to the cold stone floor.

Jack clamored for his staff, clutching it firmly to him when he got a hold of it - it had not occurred to him until that moment how badly he was trembling. He drew in lung-fulls of air, deep and needy gulps. He glanced upward and Pitch was still standing there, seemingly fascinated by Jack's little display - a smile pricking the corners of his mouth.

"You're scared of me...funny, for the guardian who took me down." Pitch's eyes still glowed with hunger, reminding Jack of some dark stalking creature of the night.

"Y-you just grabbed me and pinned me to a wall with your damn shadows. what am I suppose to be? Happy?" Jack retorted defensively, his breathing slowly returning to normal. Pitch simply chuckled at him, but it wasn't malicious which confused Jack horribly.

"You still need to get out, I won't have you here, and I won't take your help." Pitch folded his arms behind his back once more, and turned around, facing away from Jack. He went to speak up but was only met with Pitch dropping into a patch of shadows that had collected in another corner of the room. Jack muttered angry hushed obscenities under his breath before shakily rising to his feet. As he looked to the door of the bedchamber however, he realized something.

He had no idea how to get out.


	4. Fear The Future

**A/N**: My apologies for taking such a long time with this chapter, I had a pretty bad block, which wasn't helped by being busy with my Jack Frost cosplay. Hopefully the next update will come sooner.

Theres a spoiler warning for this chapter, for both Metro: 2033 and Dead Space 2.

You won't get it now, but just read on and you will.

**Update:**

It's going to be a bit longer before the next chapter and I do apologize. I'm finishing up stuff for Anime Boston, I have a Sandy cosplay to sew and a Pitch cosplay to make alterations for (In only 4 days). So I'm really sorry, but it looks like the next update will be sometime between the 27th and the 3rd.

* * *

Blackheart: Chapter Four: Fear The Future

Rise Of The Guardians

Pairing: Blackice (Pitch Black/Jack Frost)

* * *

The shadows all but tossed him against the far wall of a long corridor, unruly and disobedient - like a horse throwing its rider. They crept back around him in an apologetic manner, though he knew all too well that they were anything but sorry.

Pitch coughed, his breathing ragged due to asking too much of his untamed shadows, but also from tasting fear for the first time in a decade - and forcing himself to pull away.

It had been so long since he had tasted it, so _very_ long - it had taken every ounce of resistance he had to pull away from Jack. If Pitch hadn't crossed his arms behind his back the violent tremors of his body's defiance would of been visible, Jack would've once again seen him weak and broken. He wouldn't allow something like that, once was would be all the winter spirit would get. He had the chance to greedily devour that fear, Pitch knew very well that was what he should of done but the thought of allowing an enemy see him shatter was too much.

Pitch sat slumped against the wall, hands clutching at his sides as pangs of hunger tore him asunder - his body furious with his decision. He ground his jagged teeth together in a feeble attempt to stifle the groan of pain that rumbled forth from his throat. His body writhed and lurched, trying to persuade his mind to play along - to seek out and forcefully claim the fear that still lingered in his home. Pitch fought against it, knotting his fingers up in his cloak until his knuckles turned white with effort. He then thought of the only thing that may calm the savage beast his body now was, but it was only a shot in the dark.

He began to recall in detail what Jack's fear tasted and smelled like, fear always tantalized his senses but the fear of an immortal and an enemy? now that was deliciously divine - truly something to behold. Jack's fear in particular was astounding, it tasted like mouthfuls of the coldest ice, the kind that freezes the tongue and leaves the mouth delightfully numb - like novocaine. The scent of it was just as shocking, it was the bitter cold air of still winter night with the temperature far below zero, the type of night that causes nose bleeds.

_How strange for a guardian, a being of supposed positivity and light to have such bitter fear_. Pitch pondered, the thought itself was almost gleeful. Though was it really so strange? for a boy who was once so alone to still fear the creature who almost stole his solace. Fear that potent could not just come from Pitch himself, no, It was something much more. Jack had scars on his soul, deep, irreparable scars that no amount of supposed kinship or believers could erase.

Pitch leaned his head back up against the wall, a crooked grin cracking onto his face as he briefly noticed the pain had stopped and that he was covered in a thin sheet of sweat - due to his act of resistance against his body's will. His thinking had more than relieved him of his bothersome urges, it had enlightened on the internal workings of his enemy.

Jack was an unstable winter storm, broken and awash with pain that had not been addressed. Now Pitch knew something about Jack that no one else on the planet knew - maybe not even Jack himself. Pitch let out a low chuckle, one that reverberated off the stone walls of the corridor.

He _finally_ had the upper hand.

* * *

Jack gave an irritated sigh, blasting frost at the dark stone floor beneath his feet and watched with a disgruntled expression as it spiraled into the gentle high arcing shapes of ferns. It had been almost another three hours since Pitch had dissipated into the shadows, expecting Jack to find a way out of his labyrinth home by himself. How in the hell was he going to manage that? Jack could barely navigate his out of a paper bag, forget about an endless underground maze with staircases that lead to nowhere.

He had to admit it was fun to snoop around Pitch's home though. He'd taken the time to look and had found that the boogeyman's lair contained perhaps hundreds of rooms and passageways. There had been rooms with nothing in them, several rooms that looked to be libraries, with grand shelves that extended to the high ceiling and were virtually stuffed full with books. Other rooms were large sitting parlors Pitch had a wine cellar, a massive dining room and a ballroom - why would he even need that? Save the wine cellar and the libraries, the rest of the rooms looked as though they hadn't been touched in decades, centuries even. Jack wondered then just how old Pitch was, he knew Pitch had been around since the dark ages but had he existed before then?

Jack mulled the thought over in his brain as he passed down yet another seemingly endless hallway, absently scanning the gray walls until his eyes stumbled upon a painting - he had to do a double take.

The painting before him was haunting in it's realism, a girl with dark hair, pearlescent skin, and bright emerald eyes stared back at him. A smile graced her lips and her cheeks were tinged the slightest pink - enough to bring in a life-like warmth to her face. The most striking thing about the little girl in the painting though..was her uncanny resemblance to Pitch. She possessed the very same large, wide set eyes, his sharp nose, even his jaw structure and the only difference was that on her it looked more delicate. Without thinking, Jack stepped forward and ran a hand over the textured surface of the painting, marveling at the intricate details.

"You know, it's very rude to stay in a place after you've been specifically told to leave."

Jack couldn't help the yelp of surprise that escaped his throat as he spun around - holding his staff defensively out in front of him. Scanning the long passageway he could not decipher where Pitch's voice had come from, half of the long hallway was shrouded with dense shadows. Jack could slowly feel the fear creeping up his spine again, sending out little volts of electricity to his limbs, his heart sputtered and skipped and it soon beat mercilessly against his rib cage, His body begging him to do only one thing.

_Run_.

He began to back up down the passage, his chilled blue eyes darting in every direction as his feet drew his body clumsily backwards. Jack shrieked when his back made contact with something solid - and _warm_. He turned on his heel and gripped his staff so hard that he was sure it splintered into the skin of his hands. He was greeted by Pitch's fools gold colored eyes and jagged roguish grin dimly gleaming from the clinging black ink of the shadows.

"A little jumpy, are we?" Pitch chuckled as he took a well placed, graceful step into the eerie purple glow that the wall scones bathed the hallway in.

Jack's mouth opened and shut as he desperately tried form words, only to have his vocal cords refuse to make any sound at all. He was frozen as Pitch slowly stepped up to him and stopped a few inches from where he stood and peered down at Jack, his Cheshire grin reducing to a satisfied smirk.

"What's the matter, Jack? Cat got your tongue?" Pitch smirked as he placed a finger under the frost spirit's chin, tilting Jack's head up towards him. In that short moment, Jack took in just how clammy Pitch's skin looked and how unusually pale he was. He felt the familiar pang of guilt stab through him again as he looked up into Pitch's face - his conscience reminding him just who was at fault for the boogeyman's poor condition. It took Jack a second of staring before he jerked back out of the Nightmare King's touch and jumped several steps away from him.

"Don't touch me!" Jack ground out as he directed the end of his staff at Pitch, memories of what had occurred only three hours prior flooding his mind. He shuddered, and he was sure Pitch had saw it. .

"Still afraid I see, and is that a hint of... guilt I smell?" Pitch flashed a momentary, animated grin that dissipated back into the satisfied smirk as quickly as it had appeared. He took slow methodical steps towards Jack, attempting to once again close the space between them - the guardian of fun responded by again walking backwards away from Pitch, determined to keep the distance. He didn't want to think about what the boogeyman might do if he got a hold of him. He shuddered again as their eyes locked - no - that was not something he wanted.

"Why I wonder, would you feel so guilty? I think I know what it is," Pitch seemed to bounce on the balls of his feet in delight, reading the awful and repugnant emotions that twisted the winter spirit's insides. "You blame yourself for what I've become. This disheveled, fear-starved husk of what I once was. You're right you know, this is your fault, you're completely to blame for what is happening to me." He continued to advance with his slow, diabolic strides.

"N-no.." Jack managed to choked out as his body trembled, his staff still at the ready as he backed up, but he knew he was shaking far too much to actually take aim and fire. He had wanted to sound convincing, to maybe trick Pitch into thinking he held no remorse for what he'd done - what a foolish idea. Jack knew all too well that he had no way to seal off the guilt once it's fragile glass bottle had begun to crack.

"Look at you trying to deny it, ha! priceless!" Pitch all but roared with laughter, and Jack was surprised he still had enough energy to do that. "To think your frivolous decision will not only take away my life..but the ones of your friends as well."

"Stop!"

"But what if, Jack, what if they all fade before you do? What if you never gain anymore believers?"

"No, Stop it! P-please!"

"What if no one can see you anymore? What if...you fade out of existence completely and utterly alone?"

"NO!"

With that guttural scream, Jack fell onto his back, the sharp contact with the stone beneath him caused him to let out another yelp of surprise. He opened his eyes to see Pitch still advancing and scrambled backwards, it was somehow impossible for him to get his footing on legs that trembled violently. He dared a glance behind himself and his sight was flooded with silver moonbeams, suddenly know exactly where he was. With what little concentration he could salvage from his panic, he called the four winds to lift him from his terror stricken position on the floor of the cavern. The winds seemed to possessively whip him up into it's grasp, tearing him away from the threat that was the Nightmare King.

Jack didn't look back as his dear old friend hurried him away to safety.

* * *

Pitch watched as the little winter pest was whisked out of his clutches, deciding it was probably for the best because in Jack's compromising position, nothing would've stopped Pitch from greedily devouring his fear - leaving Jack a broken heap on the stone floor of the cavern.

He leaned heavily on the wall of the tunnel beside him, that quick display had taken more out of him that he thought it would. He felt the angry, ravenous twinges of hunger began to rise up again - his body's furious and agonized hunger frothing at the mouth like a wild animal.

He had denied himself yet again, denied the much needed fear that his dying body begged and pleaded him for. Pitch crumpled against the tunnel wall, his legs physically unable to support him. He grit his teeth, this time though he was too weak to stop the hoarse scream of agony that forced it's way out of his throat and saturated the darkest depths of his home - painting it's walls with the cries of a dying man.

* * *

The four winds finally relinquished their hold on the frost sprite several miles away from the massive underground cavern, setting him down at the base of a fir tree. They lingered around him, gently tousling his hair and clothes - like a concerned mother rubbing soothing circles into her child's back after a nightmare. The wind's fretful attitude was not uncalled for though, it had quite literally just pulled Jack out of a real nightmare.

Jack slumped his back against the fir tree, one hand over his chest as he tried fruitlessly to calm his heart that seemed to want to break his ribs. He tilted his head back and let his eyes slide shut as he tried to steady his breathing. What would've happened to him if Pitch had actually got him? would he be dead? insane? Jack clenched his hand over his heart in the frosted fabric of his hoodie - _Just stop it, just stop thinking about that_.

He eventually opened his eyes and blinked his vision into focus only to stifle a strangled gasp as he caught a pair of silver orbs not two inches from his own - just staring.

"No no, shhh, Jack, It's alright.." he felt a familiar tender touch on his face, feeling an instant sense of calm spread through from the sensation of the fingertips. His breathing slowed as he looked into Nyx's eyes, her brow was furrowed in worry as she stared back.

"What happened?" she drew back enough to allow Jack to move, her pale, slender hands dropping to his shoulders.

Jack gulped, not sure of how to start or what to say. Should he just tell her exactly what happened or should he hold back some information? could he even recall the ordeal aloud without falling back into to the violent trembling? He shook his head and glanced up at Nyx through his hair, he didn't have a choice - he would have to tell her everything.

"Well I did what you wanted me to. I went and told him that we were going to help regain believers so he wouldn't fade away, and he refused. I responded by telling him he was going to get the help whether he wanted it or not..." Jack stopped, eyes involuntarily closing as he tried to will away the frightening memory of the shadows painfully constricting his arms and legs.

"Tell me the rest of what happened, Jack." Nyx gently rubbed his shoulders with her thumbs and Jack could feel the calm seep in once again, chasing away the fear. He had to ask her how she did that.

"He got pretty angry when I said that - I know it was a bad idea for me to put it so bluntly - he just used his shadows to prevent me from moving. You said he couldn't attack me, I don't know if you were lying to get me -"

"He used his shadows? he hasn't had the willpower to make them do that for years, they haven't listened to him since after the nightmares left." Nyx had withdrawn her hands and was now pacing in front of Jack. As he was wondering what exactly she meant by Pitch's shadows "listening" to him, Nyx glanced back to Jack - a look of what could only be described as horror marred her features.

"H-he picked up your fear, didn't he?" Jack heard her voice waver, making him all the more nervous. He hesitated in nodding his head, unable to bring forth any words. Nyx uttered a few words harshly as she pressed a hand to her face, it didn't sound like any language Jack had ever heard.

"I need to go to him. Do not worry yourself about it," She told him, the unease still littering her silken voice. She glided into the air with a dancer-like grace before peering over her shoulder at Jack, even at this distance he could read the trepidation reflected in her eyes. "Finish anything else you need to do here then go to the pole, the other guardians have gathered earlier than expected. I will join you as soon as I am able." And with one last glance she was off, the night sky chasing her - giving way to the early light of dawn.

* * *

Jack had tried to think of a way to bide his time until he was forced to return to the North Pole for the meeting with the other Guardians. He wasn't ready yet to explain for a second time what had just happened to him, and at this point he wasn't even sure he wanted to help Pitch anymore.

No, he couldn't go back yet, he needed time to think.

So he was thankful when he saw Jamie inside his room, playing video games at the end of his bed. Jack thought in that moment the only reason Jamie went to the college in Burgess was so he could play video games all weekend in the peace and quiet of his bedroom. Jack chuckled quietly at that thought, the vocalization feeling foreign on his tongue after running terrified for most of the evening.

He tapped obnoxiously on the glass and was surprised by how quickly he gained Jamie's attention. The teenager grinned as he got up to unlock the window to let Jack in, as he rose to his feet it reminded Jack just how much he had grown. Jamie was _tall_ now, much taller than Jack but he was just as lanky and lean. His eyes and hair were much the same, only now more chiseled and refined, he would most of the time sport a 5 o'clock shadow - one that Jack had expressed his dislike for on many occasions.

"Hey! It's been awhile, how are you?" Jamie inquired happily as he engulfed Jack in a vice-like hug.

"I've been good, kiddo, I've been good." Jack lied as the other boy finally released him from his grasp. Really wasn't any use telling his friend what happened, right? worrying him seemed unnecessary.

"I've got something for you." Jamie chimed suddenly, striding over to the small refrigerator he had in his room, leaning down he opened it and grabbed a small jar and tossed it to the guardian of fun. Jack easily caught it and looked down at the jar with a smile - pickled habanero peppers, his favorite thing to snack on.

Jack quickly popped open the lid and pulled out one of the blazing hot peppers and took a bite, it made a satisfying crunch as he bit down. Jamie cringed as he watched his counterpart.

"I still don't know how you can eat those things without puking, let alone the whole jar in one sitting." The brunette boy sat back down at the end of his bed and picked up his controller again, Jack soon took a seat beside him. "You remember the first time we tried them?" Jamie questioned as he glanced at Jack.

"You mean the time where _you_ tried one and then ran around your house for twenty minutes crying and sucking down a gallon of milk? Yeah, yeah I remember that." Jack replied with a laugh and an impish grin as he recalled Jamie's tear streaked and snot covered face. Jamie shoved him with his arm, nearly causing the brine from the jar to spill out onto the floor.

"Oh shut up, you were the ass who suggested we try them." Jamie huffed as he resumed the game he was playing.

"I'm also the one who isn't a sissy. If you aren't crying it isn't hot enough, and I'm not crying so it isn't hot enough!" Jack retorted with another chuckle as he downed what was probably his sixth pepper from the jar. He heard Jamie mumble something vulgar under his breath in defiance, which only made Jack grin like an idiot.

After shoving yet another pepper into his mouth he looked to the TV screen, noticing the game was some type of first-person shooter. His took in the surroundings Jamie's character was in - a decrepit, run down subway.

"What game is this?" He questioned, somehow mesmerized by the game's decaying and haunting beauty.

"Metro 2033, it's based off a novel by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky. Came out in...2010 I believe? so it's almost as old as I am. It's still a good game though, I'm enjoying it and I'm gonna be playing the sequel after I finish it." Jamie stated as he nudged a game case on the floor that read Metro: Last Light.

Jack nodded his head as he watched Jamie sneak around the abandoned metro station, shooting these pink mole rat type mutants, which he later told Jack were called lurkers. Jack got a wicked grin when they both heard the wailing of child come from the game.

"Hey Jamieee, remember the last time you heard kids crying in a video game? Those exploding babies from Dead Space 2? Huh? 'Member?" Jack shook his friend's arm, causing him to accidentally make his character waste a round of ammo by shooting at a wall.

"Stop, seriously. I still can't hold babies, I feel like they're gonna implode!" Jack all but cackled at that, eyes tearing up over Jamie's completely irrational fear of babies. "Don't worry" He started as he patted Jamie on the back "The only time something like that will ever happen is when you're changing diapers..and no, I'm not helping you." Jack was still wheezing from laughter as Jamie opened the door and loaded into the room where the crying had originated from. When the scene came into view, Jack went silent.

There, hunched over the body of a man was a little boy who was desperately trying to wake the man up. Jack felt his heart ache, he never liked seeing children in such horrific predicaments, video game or no - it _never_ sat well with him.

Jack watched on as Jamie's character - who he later found out was called Artyom - knelt in front of the boy and nodded when the child asked if he would carry him to safety. Jack's heart warmed at that and he smiled as Artyom lifted the child onto his shoulders and out of site. Jamie cursed a bit when the camera wobbled - caused by the child being on Artyom's shoulders. Jamie continued on through the level and Jack silently observed, cringing every time they came into contact with a lurker or something else that posed a threat.

Jack began to zone out and retract back into his own mind. The child in the game was obviously scared, terrified even because of the natural instinct planted in him at birth. Fear had driven him to seek help, fear had made him look out for another while atop a strange man's shoulders, fear had guided both Artyom and the boy through the abandoned metro station.

Fear had _saved_ them both.

His breath hitched as he glanced at Jamie, over his features, absorbing the fact that Jamie was growing up - that maybe one day Jamie would have children of his own. Children without fear, without that crucial survival instinct - children that maybe would not make it to adulthood.

_'Have you not noticed all the deaths of children in this past decade? how it has increased ten fold? They are dying, doing reckless stupid things because they do not know fear.'_

Nyx's words rung in his head like a loud siren, the truth scratching and clawing at his mind. He was so lost within himself that he didn't notice Jamie staring until the brunette gently nudged him. Jack's eyes fluttered open and he looked at his friend, knowing that the distress was written plainly all over his face.

"Are you okay? you look like you've seen a ghost." Jamie tried to give a reassuring laugh but it only came out as dry exhale of air. Jack broke eye contact and shook his head.

"Y-yeah, sure, I'm fine..I just..I need to go now, Jamie." and before the lanky brunette could stop him, Jack leapt into the air and burst through the window, soaring high into the frigid early morning sky. He left behind his very confused and concerned friend, with an empty jar of pickled habaneros on his bed.


	5. Fear And Dread

**A/N:** First of all, I apologize for taking so damn long with this chapter. I just completely lacked inspiration for it and Just couldn't bring myself to write it all out. Writing Bunny discouraged me quite a bit but I finally worked up the courage to do it and I think I did alright.

So again, I am horribly sorry for taking so long with this one and I hope you all like it, I had fun writing it to be perfectly honest.

Alternative title: Bunny is a dumb shit who doesn't know when to back down so Nyx hands his furry ass back to him on a silver platter

Accurate.

* * *

Blackheart: Chapter Five:

Rise of the Guardians

Pairing: Blackice (Pitch Black/Jack Frost)

* * *

Jack couldn't believe it.

he was going to help Pitch even after what the ancient spirit had tried to do to him. That was the most idiotic, stupid, foolish thing he could do, right? Of course it was! It now seemed that it was not a choice however. The winter sprite sailed on the gusts of the four winds, bringing him ever closer to North's workshop all the while willing himself to turn around, to flee. His mental efforts were fruitless though, as his body spun, twisting, whirling above and below the clouds.

His reasoning was selfish, the youngest Guardian truly only wanted to make sure Jamie's future children would make it to adulthood, and Pitch unfortunately was the key - simply a means to an end. Or at least that was what Jack kept telling himself.

He danced around the thought of what could happen if they gave Pitch his believers back, not truly wanting to think about about but he couldn't stop himself. There was a chance if the fear spirit regained his power than he would come after the Guardians again, Jack knew just how much he despised them. If they let him fade though, mankind would die out entirely and the Guardians along with them. Jack decided another uprising from the Nightmare King was worth the risk if it could save human lives, not to mention his own and the other Guardian's hides as well.

Regrettably, aiding Pitch would be a chance that they would have to take whether they wanted to or not. It was for the sake of mankind, for the young and the old from all walks of life but most importantly it was for the children. Jack didn't know if he could stand to watch another child die due to their lack of natural fear, of natural innate fight or flight. If it was Jamie's children in the future that he had to watch... perish then... then he thought that this was possible, yes, yes it was. If it meant that he would never see his best friend lose a child then Jack was willing to risk everything, even starting another war with the Nightmare King.

Jack touched in front of the main doors of North's workshop, the yeti looking at him with their usual regard for him as being a troublemaker. Even after a decade they were still suspicious and somewhat untrusting of him, though Jack supposed occasionally icing the elves or random rooms and windows throughout the workshop had won him no such trust.

"Hey guys," Jack grinned sheepishly. "You wanna lemme in?"

The two yeti at the door looked at eachother and then back to Jack, both letting out simultaneous sighs as they yanked open the twin, two story doors which creaked under the strain of their own weight.

"Thanks -wait, hey hey, don't give me that look! I haven't done anything in months." Jack laughed as he walked through the doors, the two yeti grumbled behind them in only a language North could decipher. "Yeah, yeah whatever."

Jack walked further into the workshop but it didn't take him very long to find the other Guardians, who were standing in a semicircle in the globe room. The conversation looked tense.

"Oh, Jack there you are!" Toothiana exclaimed, having turned her head at the right time to see the young Guardian's approach. Baby Tooth poked up from somewhere in her mother's voluminous crest of feathers that adorned her head, mismatched eyes darting around until they landed upon Jack as well, letting out a few contented chirps as she all but abandoned her mother in favor of Jack.

"Hey there, Baby Tooth." he chuckled as the little tooth fairy darted over, affectionately rubbing herself against his cheek before taking what she considered to be her own personal seat upon the shoulder of his frost embroidered hoodie.

"So, I'm guessing everyone knows why we're here right?" Jack asked, floating the rest of the way over to the group who stood pensively.

"You're bloody right we know why we're here," and oh, the way Bunnymund said that let Jack know just how furious he was about the situation. This was not going to be easy.

"Bunny-"

"No, don't you 'Bunny' me, North. I mean come on, you wanna help Pitch? Have you gone troppo or somethin', mate?" he sharply cut North off, jabbing an accusing finger in the other Guardian's direction.

"We're just trying to think logically here, if what Nyx has told North is true then we-"

"Ha! You're really gonna believe that crazy sheila? She's no saint and she ain't that good at tellin' the truth either. How can you put your trust in a goddess? a _primordial_ goddess, she ain't gonna do anything that doesn't benefit her and you _know_ that." It seemed that Bunnymund didn't trust Nyx and Jack didn't know if it was from a past experiences or simply on a hunch -because he never spoke over Toothiana. From his own run ins with him Jack knew that Bunnymund tended to jump to conclusions and form solid opinions of someone with little to no information or knowledge of their character. Even a goddess was not immune to such scrutiny it appeared.

On the other side of North was where Sandy floated, silently observing the conversation with his head rested on one of his tiny hands. He glanced over to Jack and shrugged, dreamsand chiming as a question mark formed seamlessly above his golden crown of hair. Jack let out a small huff of laughter, a sound made more out of confusion rather than actually finding the situation amusing. As Bunny turned to him again however, with eyes the color of budding leaves narrowed to slits, Jack instantly wished he'd kept his lips in a tight, silent line.

"You think this is funny, Frostbite?" Bunnymund asked, Jack shook his head, shifting uncomfortably under his gaze and suddenly feeling as though he'd done something horribly wrong.

"No, course not, I ju-"

"That's what I thought you said." the Pooka interjected sharply again, beginning to turn away slowly from his fellow Guardian. Jack's azure toned optics narrowed then, tolerance growing short for Bunnymund's bad attitude.

"What the hell is your problem? Like I mean yeah, I know what he did to us ten years ago was wrong, I know we can't ever forget it cause it's not like we could. I'm not saying forgive him either, like we'd be nuts to ever forgive what he did to us but this isn't about him really and it's not about what we want either," he paused for a moment, Bunnymund's back still to him, longs ears up and tilted in his direction, listening, considering. Unfortunately, Jack didn't notice the faces of the other Guardians nor did he take heed of Sandy waving frantically for him to stop.

"It's about the kids, Bunny. Think about that, do it for them."

"What did you say?" Jack instantly knew what that tone said and it was loud and clear: he'd messed up, he'd gone too far and like always he couldn't take his words back.

"Do you even know what he's like!?" Bunnymund whirled around, stalking up to Jack at a steady pace, outrage could be heard in his footfalls. The winter sprite stood his ground, gripping his staff tighter.

"Uh, yeah, didn't I just explain-"

"No, you have no idea!" he shot back, Jack going stark still, silent. "Do you think what he did to us a decade ago was all that he did? Huh? Oh, but that's where you're wrong, mate, do you know how many lives he's ended, how many people he's destroyed just because he could? No, you don't, do you? You have no clue and you must've gone batshit to think he won't turn on you the moment he gets his power back. He ain't the man he used to be." Jack blinked in surprise at that, the last thing Bunnymund had said.

_He ain't the man he used to be._

Wait, Pitch had been someone before he was the Boogeyman? He knew that the rest of the Guardians had been someone but he had thought that exclusive to only them. The fact that Pitch was someone before the spiteful, bitter, spirit he was now alarmed Jack but what stood out to him more was the fact that Bunnymund had known that Pitch was someone before.

And if he knew that that meant the others did as well.

Why would they have not told him though? Why keep quiet about it when they were all on the same page, they were all Guardians. Jack felt the stinging of betrayal rise up like bile in his gut, coupled with confusion, anger and disappointment competing for the same place at the forefront of his mind.

He opened his mouth, eyes narrowing as he began to speak but he was quickly and yet again cut off, but this time it was from a familiar, silken and otherworldly feminine voice behind him.

"I'm glad to see all of you got here in one piece," Nyx said in her usual nonchalant way, approaching and joining the group soundlessly. Jack wondered if she even had feet to walk on or just merely glided over the ground.

The look Bunny shot her could only be described as the look of a man full of contempt. The goddess just tilted her head, smiling but was thankfully devoid of that inhuman and gut churning insidious grin. Jack shuddered at the memory of it.

"You could not have arrived at better time," North said, speaking up over the still thickening tension. "We are having some difficulty getting everyone to agree on what should be done, this is not easy."

"That doesn't surprise me in the slightest," Nyx replied, her bioluminescent gaze lingering on Bunnymund for a moment longer, something unreadable dancing within the silvery and pupiless depths of her eyes before she turned her attention back to North. Bunnymund followed her with his still contempt filled glare, eyes narrowing to slits as she glided her way over to the rest of the group. Jack took that moment to slip away, walking around the Pooka's other and he thankfully didn't seem to take much notice.

"As difficult as this may be, what I overheard Jack say when I arrived is true; this is not about you, this is _not_ about what any of you want and it isn't even about the children. This is about the well being of humanity itself, their species has been and always will be a delicate balancing act. Fear is needed just as much as the five of you are, Pitch has a purpose and it is just as important, just as necessary. You need each other to keep the balance, you need eachother to _survive_ and you _cannot_ deny that." Nyx always seemed to speak with such confidence, such knowledge of how the world worked, it was enough to stun the group into silence for a few moments.

They all knew the truth that rang clear, loud, certain and unwavering in the primordial goddess' words. She was right, it was not something they could easily deny although most of them looked ready to offer a 'what if', an alternative to the situation that they were being forced into for what looked like to be their own good. Sandy seemed to be the only one who wasn't in choking denial, as he knowingly looked to Nyx and nodded his head, golden tufts of dreamsand dusted hair ruffling with the subtle movement.

North and Toothiana appeared to be taking it with mixed emotions, neither one looking like they wanted to accept it. Jack thought he could even see the gears turning in the fairy queen's head, a deep, perturbed sigh leaving rose tinted lips and a noticeable weight dragging her shoulders down.

An inquiring little chirp from Baby Tooth, who was still perched on his shoulder, nearly made the youngest Guardian jump, the little tooth fairy sounding far too loud in his ear and in the silence that now strangled the globe room. Even the work of the yeti seemed drowned out in the tension, muted by the quiet contemplation that gripped the group of six.

Jack swallowed as Baby Tooth left her spot on his shoulder, flitting back over to her mother who was still deep in thought, in contemplation. Jack looked down at his hands, pursing his lips as he swallowed, the sound terribly and surprisingly audible. It was enough to make him cringe, a deep breath taken as he opened and closed his mouth in an attempt to summon words, to speak but nothing came.

"_No_."

Jack's eyes shot up from their averted position, darting over to Bunnymund, his voice having broken the mounting silence with a whisper that was akin to the rolling crackle of thunder. The beginning of a storm, and the tension increased, a steady thrum that went unheard but it was there underneath that hushed little utterance of a one syllable word. Jack braced himself.

"Bunny," Toothiana started in, her delicate brow furrowing. "We... we don't have a choice, we can't just let this happen. We can take him down again if he rises up, Nyx won't stand for that again. Will you, Nyx?"

"I do not intend, no." came the goddess' response, delivered without hesitation.

"Why?" came another hushed whisper from the Pooka warrior's throat, a few more moments of silence passing. Jack thought he'd gag on the tension, this was why he hated their tri-annual meetings and this one wasn't even scheduled at it's normal time.

"Why?! Why would you wanna help us? You God types never help anyone unless there's somethin' in it for you. So what is it then, what do you want that makes it so goddamn 'necessary' for us to help that... that _monster_!" the entire group cringed at the rising octaves of Bunnymund's voice, abrupt and harsh like sandpaper against the high vaulted ceilings of the workshop. Even the yeti stopped work for a brief moment, the Pooka's distress, his outrage and disgust clinging and palpable in the air.

Nyx laughed.

"Is it so impossible for you to fathom that maybe what I want is for humanity to thrive? Or are you going to allow your judgmental and volatile nature overpower your logical thinking?" she challenged, tilting her head to the side in a playful manner. Jack realized then, looking at her that Bunnymund had just walked into dangerous territory. Nyx was no different from Pitch in her mastery of word games and manipulation.

"What do you think this is, bush week?" Bunnymund growled, shoulders hunching as his ears nailed themselves flat against the back of his head. "Honestly, who're you tryin' to fool here? Cause you ain't foolin' me, sheila."

Another velvet chuckle, an equally amused one but there was something there, beneath the melodious noise. Danger tapered it's edges, a warning.

"What's so funny?" Bunnymund's patience was growing thin, it was a wonder to Jack that he hadn't lashed out physically yet.

"What's so funny?" Nyx echoed. "What's so funny is the fact that you cannot put your differences aside to be the Guardian that you were chosen to be."

That was when the Pooka snapped.

His fur stood on end, ears still flattened to the back of his head as he reached for a boomerang with a lightning quick action.

"Bunny, no!" was North's cry as he made an attempt to lunge for the Guardian of Hope but it was far too late for that, the boomerang was already flying through the air, it's direction precise, an accuracy that only an expert like the old Pooka warrior could achieve.

Nyx easily sidestepped it, what was more was that she cackled. It was a sound that made Jack's skin crawl, a sound that rasped and rumbled more like the growls of a tremendous beast, a sound that shouldn't have come from anything remotely human looking.

The room darkened then and the workshop hushed to an unbearable silence. The yeti, the elves, the toys being tested, everything was completely and utterly quiet. If Jack were alive, he thought he'd be able to hear his blood moving through his veins.

The corners of the primordial goddess' lips twitched once, then twice, and upon the third time curled up into that insidious grin that cut her face in half. Teeth like knives flashed white and shining were revealed, and she had at least three rows of them, like some sort of deformed shark. Her hair whipped around her like some unruly, star dotted mass of snakes as she encroached upon Bunnymund, a now and suddenly skeletal hand reaching out to catch the boomerang as it came back around. She crushed it like it was nothing more than fragile egg shells.

Bunnymund's eyes flitted momentarily to the nearly disintegrated remains of his weapon disposed of upon the floor like it was nothing more than trash, but his feet were glued to the floor, his body frozen. Jack's mouth closed around a thin noise of protest, of telling the Pooka to run, to get away but his vocal cords just wouldn't work. There was nothing he could do but watch in horror as Nyx's mutated face came within inches of the older Guardian's own.

"_Come now, **Aste**__**r**__, you must know better than to lash out at your superiors,_" No one had air enough in their lungs to gasp at the distorted sound of Nyx's voice. It was this gravelly noise, fading and coming with the wind, all compiled on top of a steady and ground shaking thump-thump that sounded suspiciously like a heartbeat. It was the way she said his name though, Bunnymund's first name with a feral growl that caused Jack to take a step backwards. It wasn't human, and of course she was a goddess, ancient and powerful but... she should not have sounded like _that_.

Like a beast tearing into a corpse.

"_Whether you agree to it or not, Pitch's place in the balance will be restored,_" the goddess cocked her head to the left in a way that would have instantly snapped her neck had she been human. It still made the same noise as breaking bone would though.

"_If it means that I have to go through you -all of you - to do so then I will, and oh, **Aste**_**_r_**_, you do __**not**__ want to underestimate me,_" she paused, grin stretching even wider on her face than Jack thought possible. It was like watching a parasite emerge from it's host. "_Do I make myself clear?_ _Or must I reiterate what I just said?_"

Bunnymund could only nod in response.

"Excellent!" she chimed, her voice having returned to it's otherworldly but normal tone, and her horrifying form returning to normal in the blink of an eye as if nothing ever happened, it was as if she expected them to move on, act like they hadn't seen anything. The frightening thought was that she did completely expect that out of them. Jack was no coward, but he was willing to comply, invoking a wrath like Nyx's seemed like a shitpoor idea right then.

"Pitch is, after all, a dying breed. There are not many demigods left in the world today and I would hate to see them lose another of their own." that remark took a few long, drawn out moments to register in Jack's mind, the rest of the group working their way up into a timid discussion after Nyx's display. Then it clicked and he sputtered, blinking several times as he directed his line of sight to the goddess.

"W-what?" he stuttered, not knowing any other way to ask.

"Hmm? Something wrong, Jack?" the goddess asked turning in his direction, gently lofting a fine, delicately arched brow at him.

"You... you just called Pitch a-a demigod. That's... how is that even.." he fumbled over words, trying to find the right ones but his efforts was fruitless and he was truly perplexed by the very notion that Pitch was anything more than a simple spirit.

"You didn't know?" and her eyes narrowed, glancing back over her shoulder at the other Guardians. "You never told him? Why in the name of almighty Chaos would you choose not to tell him?"

"Wait, wait, wait, you guys knew about this?" a pang of betrayal stabbed through him with frightening precision as he looked wide eyed at his fellow Guardians. Why wouldn't they tell him something so inherently important?

"We did not think it would be important," North admitted. "Pitch was defeated, it did not seem like something that we would want to worry Jack with. We had no idea that Pitch would fall as far as he has."

It was quiet again for a few moments, Nyx staring at North with her lips pursed in disappointment.

"I'm surprised at you, Nick. You should have known better than to keep Jack in the dark, he is one of your own and he has a right to know, How could you keep such a thing from him?" she didn't sound enraged like Jack had expected, angry yes, but not the outburst he thought would surely rear it's ugly head. She simply seemed... upset, for lack of a better word.

North said nothing in response, only nodded solemnly and left it at that.

Nyx released a heavy sigh and shook her head, drifting ebony tresses littered with the stars of the night sky flouncing with her as her head moved. She turned her attention back to Jack then, offering a small, apologetic smile.

"Well, if they were neglectful in telling you then I shall be the one to do it instead. Come, follow me." she said, moving to place a hand between the frost sprite's shoulder blades guiding him away from the globe room, the four other Guardians following close behind.

* * *

They all sat at a long table in North's library, a room lit brightly by the warm light of the wrought iron chandeliers overhead. Out on the table were several large books, thick texts between four and five inches thick, all on the topic of Greek and Roman mythology. Jack was surprised that North kept such books but then again Jack was not a very avid reader.

"Now, look here," Nyx said, having leafed through a particularly old looking book, the thickest of them all. She moved to stand beside where Jack sat who shifting in his seat because he hated being forced to sit still for so long.

She laid the book down upon the table in front of him, her long, elegant fingers brushing over an illustration with text underneath it in Latin. Jack's eyes widened at the picture before him, drawn in black ink that had faded to a dingy gray over time.

It was... Pitch. Yes, there was no doubt about it but he looked so very different. In the illustration, he was depicted as wearing Grecian armor, the skirted bottom, the tough cuirass, greaves hid the lower half of his legs from view and atop his head was what looked to be a royal Corinthian helm. It was like he was himself and yet he wasn't, he looked stronger, confident, in his element.

He looked _whole_.

The realization of just how far Pitch had fallen was... sobering for Jack to think about to say the least. The more Jack looked at the inked drawing the more guilty he felt about leaving Pitch to be torn apart by his own creations, his own demons. He felt at fault, in part for the way Pitch was now, in fact he knew that what he did was one of the reasons Pitch had fallen so far. If maybe he had listened in Antarctica, maybe if he had tried to reason with him rather than shoot down his offer like some petulant brat then just maybe, the Nightmare King would have been alright.

Then the thought that what Pitch had offered him came to mind once more, with a sickening and abrupt lurch of his gut, Jack knew, he _knew_ that Pitch's offer had been sincere. All at once, Jack felt more disgusted with himself and his actions than he'd ever been.

_I really messed up, didn't I?_

"Jack, are you paying attention?"

Nyx's voice interrupted his private musings and with a small amount of embarrassment he realized she'd been talking the entire time he'd been zoning out.

"Uh, yeah, sorry I kinda zoned out a bit there. What were you saying exactly?" came the young Guardian's response, sheepishly bringing a hand up to scratch the back of his head.

An aggravated sigh passed Nyx's garnet colored lips, moonbeam eyes devoid of pupils looked down to Jack with an expression of annoyance.

"Do try and pay attention please, I haven't the time to explain such things to you more than once"

"Yeah, sorry about that." his lip thinned into a frown, the mild embarrassment fading.

"Alright then, let's continue, shall we?" that was more of course a statement rather than a suggestion, and Nyx carried on explaining what she had just said, one last final time for Jack.

"As I was saying, this picture here depicts Pitch as he once was centuries, eons ago, before most of you existed... well, except Aster and Sandy but that is a story for another time and place." She said. "Pitch has not always been known by the name he goes by now, he once, in this age long ago was known as Phobos, the demigod of fear.

"Now, it is a rather common misconception that Phobos is the son of Ares, God of War and twin to Deimos, the demigod of dread but that however is just not the case. Pitch, when he first arrived here on earth-"

"First arrived? But hasn't he always been here?" Jack questioned, suddenly rather perplexed by the suggestion that Pitch was not from earth but somewhere else.

"That... is not a story that even I am willing to tell you for you are not ready to hear it. Now please, do not interrupt me again, I would very much like to get this history lesson over with, we have more pressing matters to attend to," Nyx explained and Jack couldn't help but wonder why she refused to tell him. He dared a glance to the others at the table, a silent inquiry etched into his features. All of their expressions read back to him loud and clear: they were _not_ going to tell him either.

"As I was saying, when Pitch first arrived here on earth, fear was not his to control because that power was only granted to Ares' son, Deimos. Pitch was already fear incarnate, but it was not his to control and thus he befriended Deimos and struck up a deal with him to sign over his control of fear so that Pitch would be it's one and only regulator. Deimos -who was having great difficulty managing on his own - agreed to forge a blood pact with Pitch, granting him power over fear but at the same time binding them together as brothers of a sense.

"They did, as most intelligent demigods do anyways, formulate a backup plan if one of them were to die or fade. If Pitch were to fade away then Deimos would regain control of fear, and if it was Deimos who should perish then Pitch would be bestowed with dread-"

"Then why don't we just let him die then?"

Everyone's heads snapped in Bunnymund's direction, the Pooka's eyes once again narrowed at the goddess. His bravado had evidently returned.

"Why, why don't we just let it happen, let him-"

"Because Deimos is dead, Aster."

The Pooka's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, silence fell over the room and Nyx looked down to her hands, her full lips bowing down into a frown. She looked...sorrowful, like she had lost a friend and indeed she had.

"Did you ever bother to think why Pitch rose up to defy you a decade ago? did you ever think that maybe it was because his other half faded? That he went mad with power because he had no idea how to channel, to control dread?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper. She returned her gaze to Bunnymund, those silver, moonbeam eyes filled with heartache, regret, and... guilt.

"No one believed in him anymore, and while his center was as strong as it ever was, not a soul believed that there was a curator, a _god_ of dread," sharp little needle teeth drew her bottom lip gently in, she blinked and Jack had to look twice to see the high sheen that now glassed over her eyes; tears threatening to fall.

"I couldn't save him and we were so close... he was counting on me and I... failed him as friend never should," she paused, swallowing thickly and closed her eyes. "I have the answer to your question, Aster. You asked why I wanted to help you, accused me of being in this only for myself and you know what? You're _right_, you are absolutely right. I am in it for a selfish reason of my own, but it is not for myself, it is for Pitch so that he might live so that he will not have to face the same fate as his other half." then her eyes opened and hardened, the moisture all but subsiding from their white void-like depths. Her upper lip twitched up into a snarl, not half as sinister as her grin but still unnerving.

"Do you even know what it's like to hold a dying spirit in your arms? A once powerful, respected demigod who was confident, who told the best jokes, who was sparing with the dread, the despair he spread and never overbearing. Have you any idea what it feels like to hold his broken, frail body in your arms with his brother at your side while you whisper soothing words as he draws his last breath? Do you?!" her roar shook the room, several shelves of books shifting violently before clattering to floor with heavy thumps.

"That, that right there is why I will not let you stop me. I _refuse_ to cradle Pitch's dying form in my arms, I _refuse_ to watch the life drain from his eyes like I did, like we _both_ did with Deimos. Stand in my way if you feel so inclined but know that there will be _nothing_ left of you when I am finished." the room again fell into silence. Jack looked between Nyx and Bunnymund several times, their eyes still locked onto each other like the sight of a rifle. The Pooka's ears then flattened against his head, his eyes once more narrowing to slits. He roughly got up from the table, shoving the chair back into place so hard that it fell over backwards.

"Do whatever the hell it is you want, I ain't helpin' you." the Pooka shot Nyx one last sneer before storming out of the library.

"I apologize, Nyx. Bunny is.. well you know he and Pitch do not get along," North said but Nyx merely shook her head.

"It does not matter, if you are willing to aid me then I could care less about Aster not doing so." she said, heaving another past her lips.

"... I'm willing to help, if it means it will somehow protect the children as well and I think Sandy is too, right Sandy?" Toothiana spoke up after being silent through most of the meeting, seeming to still be in shock from Nyx's display of power in the globe room.

Sandy adamantly nodded his head, a giant, shimmering dreamsand 'thumbs up' shifting into existence above him. It caused Nyx to chuckle softly, but the sound was drained, worried.

"Nyx?" Jack questioned, voice gentle as he didn't like the idea of upsetting the goddess further.

"Yes, Jack?"

"Is Pitch... is he alright? I mean, you said that you went to check on him after I left and I just... wanted to know if everything was okay."

Her lips thinned, a deep breath was taken in through her small nose and out through her mouth, lips only parting just barely to let out the fretful sigh.

"He isn't well, Jack. That is why I need you all to help me... I don't think he has much time left."

Jack paused, considering. The guilt, regret, his sympathy for Nyx, for Pitch all mingling in his gut. It placed a heavy weight on his chest, it made it difficult to breathe.

"It's my fault, isn't it?"

Nyx looked to him slowly, eyes dulling, going soft before she closed them to hide her opinion -a fact - from view.

Jack already knew the answer.


End file.
